100 Fun Ways to Get Your Kids to Take Their Medicine

Superhero Parents, Assemble! You can do this! Here are a HUNDRED different ways to get your kids to take their medicine!

1. Mix with a spoonful of sugar
2. Add cherry flavor from the pharmacist
3. Give with a spoonful of ice-cream as a chaser
4. Mix with pedialyte
5. Color the medicine with food coloring
6. Blend inside of a smoothie
7. Inject into a donut hole to make your own filling
8. Put a princess or super hero sticker on the syringe or medicine cup
9. Make the syringe pretend to be a submarine coming into the dock
10. Make the syringe or dosing cup pretend to be an airplane coming into the hanger
11. Mix with juice (not grapefruit juice)
12. Dip a pancake into the dose until each bite soaks up the medicine
13. Add medicine to the holes of a waffle a little each time until eaten
14. Add to an ice-pop
15. Add root beer flavor from the pharmacist
16. Mix with applesauce
17. Get 2nd syringe with colored water to match the medicine, allow your child to give you a “dose” first – then they get the real thing
18. Have your child pretend to give medicine to their favorite doll/toy
19. Mix with powdered sugar
20. Offer one m&m or other candy for each sip of medicine
21. Mix with small amount of Gatorade
22. Mix with chocolate syrup
23. Mix with cherry syrup
24. Give with a syringe instead of in a cup
25. Empty syringe into a cup
26. Let child be the doctor and give themselves the medicine
27. Use the television as a distraction
28. Let them play a game on the ipad/iphone while taking the medicine
29. Give the medicine in a non-conventional place (like outside or in the bathtub)
30. Put on their favorite movie
31. Sing a song about taking medicine (spoonful of sugar is my favorite!)
32. Make a craft project about decorating a favorite medicine cup
33. Add watermelon flavor from the pharmacist
34. Freeze* medicine into slushy or popsicle tray
35. Have another adult help you to hold your child
36. Put whipped cream on top of medicine cup
37. Add sprinkles
38. Play “this little piggy” with medicine going “all the way home”
39. Parent pretends to take medicine first
40. Add grape flavor from the pharmacist
41. Write a story together about taking medicine
42. Drink through a straw
43. Drink through a Twizzler
44. Give medicine directly to back of cheek to bypass taste buds
45. Mix with frozen yogurt
46. Mix with jelly
47. Mix with peanut butter
48. Mix into jell-o
49. Have a different adult (like a grandparent or other caretaker) administer the medicine
50. “Shoot” the medicine into their mouth from close distance (practice first with water in syringe)
51. Make a sticker chart for each dose needed – give a prize when the chart is full and med complete
52. Give smaller amount over several minutes instead of all at once
53. Dip cornbread into medicine
54. Add to grilled cheese
55. Show older children how to swallow pill (ask pediatrician to change to pill form)
56. Ask if medicine comes as a chewable or dissolving tablet
57. Mix into a bread ball
58. Put on top of pizza
59. Add to spoonful of macaroni and cheese
60. Dunk lollipop into medicine until all is licked off
61. Mix with flavored drink
62. Put medicine into pacifier (little at a time) and cut small slit on pacifier end
63. Have a medicine tea party
64. Give child a frozen dessert first to numb their mouth
65. Hollow out candy (fun size) and add medicine inside
66. Add bubble gum flavor from pharmacist
67. Allow child to pick a treat to have after the dose
68. Add to pumped breastmilk
69. Put nose plugs in to hide smell and some of the taste
70. Add sour flavor
71. Warm up a cookie so the smell is throughout the room
72. Add inside of a marshmallow
73. Add cocoa powder to medicine
74. Add vanilla powder to medicine
75. Add honey to medicine dose (*only for children over age 1 year*)
76. Add to cereal
77. Dip goldfish into medicine until all is eaten
78. Make a medicine dance (Pat your head, tap your toes, take your medicine, and down it goes)
79. Take medicine while chewing on a Skittle
80. Have a medicine puppet show
81. Use your child’s favorite stuffed animal to help hold the syringe/cup
82. Science lab — let your child help add the medicine to the cup or syringe
83. Create a fun name for the medicine (ex: princess potion or superhero juice)
84. Add to maple syrup
85. Crush pill form medicine to make into sprinkles
86. Open capsule and add to food of choice
87. Use a funny hat or prop to disguise yourself as the medicine fairy
88. Add to water
89. Use a flavored straw to drink medicine
90. Use a fun bendy straw
91. Give a candy necklace, one bite for each sip of medicine
92. Let child drink medicine while wearing a Halloween mask
93. Add orange flavor from the pharmacist
94. Add to ketchup to dip chicken fingers
95. Mix with mashed up watermelon
96. Use their favorite toy as distraction while giving the medicine
97. Create list of fun places/ways to take medicine and add to a hat – let child pick each time
98. Show videos of animals taking medicine
99. Facetime a grandparent or other friend or family member to watch them take their medicine
100. Use positive reinforcement, lots of encouragement, and applause when done!